Compressor valve



Nov. 3, 1931- J: R. ERSKINE ET AL COMPRESSOR VALVE Filed Feb. 16. 1927 S Sheets-Sheet 1 INV TORS mes ill/g RNEY 1931- J. R. ERSKINE ET AL 1,829,954

COMPRESSOR VALVE Filed Feb. 16, 1927 ZgSheets-Sheet 2 h 62' a: as as 61 760 a:

1931- J. R. ERSKINE ET AL 1,829,954

COMPRESSOR VALVE Filed Feb. 16, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 79 0 @m 74 75 32 & 10+ 2440 86 l I I 82 8: mm 2 e5 4 66 laz zz 79 76 l 1 1 i I Jrl r e s fg fis inc BY Harry/V burg. 86 ,1 81 7? 18234 85 81 8% ATTORNEY v Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES R. ERSKINE AND HARRY HEDBURG, E FRESNO, CALIFORNIA COMPRESSOR VALVE Application filed. February 16, 1927. Serial No. 168,782.

This invention relates to improvements in suction and discharge valves for ammonia compressors and the like and aims primarily to provide compressor valves especially designed for minimum clearance volume, maximum valve lift, gas cushioning during closing movements and spring cushioning during opening movements, whereby the correlated compressor thereof functions with greater n efficiency, breakage of valve parts is minimized or eliminated, and the valves are rendered substantially noiseless in operation.

Contemplated by the present invention is a suction or discharge valve for compressors embodying improvements directed particularly to annular valve seats having annular gas cushioning grooves formed therein midway their width; a plurality of relatively thin spring-pressed annular plate valves coacting with said annular valve seats and having cushioning action during opening and closing movements; a single guide for said annular valve plates; a circular row of uniformly spaced helical springs for each of said annular plates, each spring of said row being seated within an annular recess or mounted upon a dowel pin at one end thereof and at its opposite or free end medially abuts the correlated annular plate-thereof a single cap screw for reinforcing and detachably securing the valve assembly in operative relation; and means to retain the valve in seated relation within its associated compressor cylinder head, all of which are important objects of our invention and are to be correlated in the broad aim of enhancing the efiiciency of the device for general use. r The above, and additional objects which Will hereinafter be more specifically treated, are attained by such means as are shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more clearly pointed out in the claim, which is appended hereto and forms a part of this application.

With reference to the accompanying drawin gs in which are illustrated the embodiments of the invention, as at present preferred, and throughout the several views of which like characters of reference designate similar parts:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an ammonia compressor embodying the suction and discharge valves comprehended by the present invention, certain parts thereof being shown in elevation. 66

Figure 2 is a vertical medial section of the suction valve of the present invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections taken through 33 and 4-4, respectively, of Figure 2.

Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sections'taken'through 55 and 66, respectively, of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary inverted horizontal section taken through 77 of Figure 5, with certain'parts broken away, for clarity ofillustration. 7

Figure 8 is a vertical medial section of the discharge valve of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken through 9-9 of Figure 8. Y

Figure 10 is an inverted horizontal section taken through 10-10 of Figure 8.

Figures 11 and 12 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sections taken through l1l1 and 1212, respectively, of Figure 9. Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken through 13.-13 of F igure 11, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration.

Figure 14 is a plan view of the annular plate valves employed with the present in; vention.

Figure 15 is a vertical section thereof taken through 1515 of Figure 1 1, and

Figure 16 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of one of-the valve seats illustrating more fully the gas cushion formed therein.

Before taking up the detailed. description of the drawings, a general exposition of the specific purposes, functions and advantages of the suction and discharge valves evolved by the present invention will be undertaken. Heretofore suction and discharge valves for ammonia compressors and the like have been designed and fabricated with too much clearance loss resulting in low compressor elficiency; also such valves have in some instances been oushioned on the wrong sides re sulting in noisy operation and breakage of valve members due to unnecessary jars and shocks; further such valves have in some instances been provided with guideless springs, which wear easily, are frequently broken and having no guides, such springs wobble, become dislodged and fall into the compressor cylinders resulting in serious accidents; further such valves have been constructed with an unnecessary number of parts resulting in increased cost for material and labor.

It is therefore, a primary object of the present invention to design and fabricate suction and discharge valves for ammonia compressors and the like, which will materially increase compressor efiiciency by reducing clearance loss to the minimum; which have gas cushioning means on the proper sides of the valve members so that the latter will cushion when closing to thereby assure of noiseless operation and minimize or eliminate breakage of the same wherein the springs for the valve members are properly protected and enclosed so that in the event of breakage, such springs cannot become dislodged or displaced to enter the compressor cylinders thus avoiding serious accidents; and which have a minimum number of parts properly reinforced and detachably secured in operative relation by a single cap screw, thus reducing cost of material and labor in the fabrication thereof and providing valves which will withstand the maximum amount of back pressure.

Beginning the more detailed description the numeral 20 designates a compressor cylinder, of well known form, having a piston 21 reciprocatively mounted therein with a piston rod 22 rigidly secured thereto and extending in axial prolongation therefrom through a stufiing box 23 formed within a cylinder head 24 fixedly secured to the rear end of the cylinder 20. The piston rod 22, exteriorly of said cylinder, is connected in an obvious manner to suitable reciprocating mechanism, not shown. Formed within the cylinder head 24 in diametrically opposed relation are a suction passageway 25 and a discharge passageway 26. In this connection it may be well to state, that while we have shown only one suction and one discharge passageway within the cylinder head 24, it is to be understood that a plurality of interconnected suction passageways and a plurality of interconnected discharge passageways may be provided, the present drawing being merely byway of illustration. Fixedly secured to the forward end of the cylinder 20 is a cylinder head 27 also having a suction passageway 28 and a diametrically opposed discharge passageway 29 formed therein. Connected to and communicating with the suction or intake passageways 25 and 28 of the cylinder heads 24 and 27 are suction branch pipes 30, which are interconnected at their opposing ends by a valve 31 to a common suction pipe 32 connected to and leading from the correlated refrigerating apparatus thereof, and similarly connected to and communicating with the discharge passageways 26 and 29 of the said cylinder heads are discharge branch pipes 33, also interconnected at their opposing ends by a valve 34 to a common discharge pipe 35 leading to and connected with the refrigerating apparatus aforementioned. The compressor cylinder 20 is enclosed within the usual rectangular casing 36 rigidly secured thereto in any well known manner, which casing is broken away and shown in section for clarity of illustration.

Formed within the cylinder heads 24 and 27 at the inner termini of the suction passageways 25 and 28 thereof and in perpendicular relation thereto are cylindrical bores 37, slightly enlarged substantially midway their length to form annular chambers 38, which merge and communicate with their respective suction passageways. Similarly formed within the said cylinder heads at the inner termini of the discharge passageways 26 and 29 thereof are cylndrical bores 39 having annular chambers 40 formed in their walls substantially midway their length, which merge and communicate with their respective discharge passageways. The cylindrical bores 37 and 39, for a purpose about to be described, are preferably formed with convergent inner terminals or inwardly tapering seats, as more clearly shown at 41 in Figure 2 and at 42 in Figure 8.

Concentrically disposed within each of the cylindrical bores 37 is a cylindrical suction valve 43, preferably of the cage type, having an accurately machined and ground convergent inner end snugly fitting within the inner convergent seat 41 of said bore, said valve having the peripheral portion of its outer end also accurately machined to snugly fit within the outer end of the cylindrical bore 37, all as substantially illustrated in Figure 2. The outer end of the cylindrical bore 37 is enclosed by a cover or bonnet 44 fixedly secured to the correlated cylinder head by stud bolts 45. The suction valve 43 is maintained and retained in snugly fitting and operative relation within its cylindrical bore 37 and within its seat 41 by an adjustable clamping screw 46 centrally threaded within the cover 44 and the inner end of which normally abuts the outer closed end of said valve, whereby displacement or dislodgment of the latter from its seat 41, due to back pressure or other causes, is effectually prevented. The clamping screw 46 is locked in a clamped position by a locking nut 47 threadably engaged thereon, which normally abuts the outer side of the cover 44. To facilitate and expedite withdrawal of the suction valve 43 from its bore 37 for inspection, repairs or replacement, the outer closed end of said valve is provided with an enlarged tapped recess 48 for engagement therein of a suitably threaded tool, wherewith such valvemay be easily and conveniently removed or withdrawn from the said bore in an obvious manner.

The cylindricalorcage walls of the suction valve 43 are provided substantially midway their lengthwith diametrically opposed inlet openings orports 49, which establish normal communication between the valve interior and the correlated annular chamber'38 surrounding the same, while the exteriorly convergent inner end of said suction valve is provided with an'end wall50 having a plurality of circular rows of valve controlled outlet openings 51 formed concentrically therein, through which communication is established between the valve interior and the compressor cylinder 20, when the suction valve 43 is operatively disposed within its respective cylindrical bore 37 and is actuated by the suction strokes of the piston 21. The end wall 50 forms and constitutes the face or seat of the suction valve 43, and for this purpose the exterior surface of such end wall is annularly recessed or undercut, as indicated at 52, to provide a series of concentric annular valve faces 53, for each circular row of openings 51, said annular faces having their inner edges co-extensive with the arcuate walls of their correlated circular row of openings 51 and having gas cushioningannular grooves 54 formed therein midway their width, as more clearly shown in Figures 5, 6 and 16. By thus annularly recessing or undercutting the end wall 50, as above described, a central boss 55 and an annular perimetrical face 56 is also provided upon the exterior surface of said end wall, substantially as illustrated in Figures fraud 6, wherein it will be observed that the annular valve faces 53, the central boss 55 and the annular perimetrical face 56 are in a common plane. Seating upon or abutting the valve faces 53, for controlling the openings 51, are relatively thin annular plate valves 57, of the type illustrated in Figures 14 and 15, each of which is normally maintained in seated or abutting relation upon its correlated valve faces 53 by a circular row of uniformly spaced helical compression springs 58, which abut the associated plate valve at their'free ends and at their opposite ends are disposed or seated within a circular row of uniformly spaced annular recesses59, formed within a terminal valve disk 60 in concentric medial alignment with the correlated annular plate valve thereof.

The valve disk 60 is recessed upon its inner face to provide thereon a central boss 61, a perimetrical annular face 62, and a circular row of uniformly spaced integral guide portions 63 of rectangular formation substantially midway between said boss 61 and said perimet'rical annular face 62 in concentrical relation thereto and inwardly projecting perpendicular relation to said recessed inner face, as shown more clearly in Figures 4 and 5. By referring to Figures 5 and 6 it will be noted that the central boss 61 and the annular perimetrical face 62 are in a common plane, while the guide portions 63 extend inwardly, slightly beyond said. common plane, so that, when the valve disk 60 is operatively secured to the valve 43 by a centrally disposed cap screw 64 threadably engaged therein, the central disk face boss 61 will abut the central valve face'boss 55, the annular disk face 62 will abut the annular valve face 56 and the disk guide portions 63 will seat or project within one of the annular recesses 52 of the valve face to serve and function thereat as a guide for the annular plate valves 57 during opening and closing movements thereof, as will be manifest and apparent. The guide portions 63 also function to expedite and facilitate the accurate andproper positioning of the valve disk 60 upon the valve 43 and serve to effectually and positively prevent sliding movement of such disk upon the valve face during the assembly of the valve. The valve disk 60 is also provided with a plurality of circular rows of outlet openings 65, in concentric relation to the axis thereof, whereby free and unobstructed communication between the interior of the suction valve 43 and the compressor cylinder 20 is positively assured, when the suction valve is opened.

From the foregoing description and by referring to the accompanying drawings it will be evident that the annular plate valves 57 will be unseated during the suction strokes of the piston 21 and that such valves will be seated during the compression strokes of said piston,

Concentrically disposed within each of the cvlindrical bores 39 is a cylindrical dis charge valve 66, also of the cage type. having an accurately machined and ground convergent inner end snugly fitting within the inner convergent seat 42 of said bore, said valve having the peripheral. portion of its outer end also accurately machined to snuglv fitwithin the outer end of the cylindrical bore 39, as shown more clearly in Figure 8. Theouter end of the cylindrical bore 39 is enclosed bya cover or bonnet 67 fixedly secured to the correlated cylinder head by stud bolts 68. The discharge valve 66 is positively secured in snugly fitting and operative relation within its bore 39 and its seat 42 by an adjustable clamping screw 69 con entrically threaded within the cover 67 and at the inner end thereof normallyabuts the outer closed end of the said valve, to effectually prevent displacement or dislodgement of the same from its seat 42, due to back pressure or other causes. The clamping screw 69 is provided with a locking nut 70 for locking the same in a clamped position. An enlarged tapped recess 71 is provided within the outer closed end of the discharged valve 66 for the reception of a suitably threaded tool, whereby such valve may be readily withdrawn or removed for inspection, repairs and replacement.

The cylindrical or cage walls of the discharge valve 66 are provided with diametrically opposed discharge openings or ports 72 for establishing communication between the valve interior and the correlated annular chamber 40 surrounding the same, while the inner end of said valve is provided with an end wall 7 8 having a plurality of circular rows of inlet openings 7 4 concentrically formed therein, whereby free and unobstructed communication between the compressor cylinder 20 and the valve interior is positively insured, when the discharge valve is opened. The exterior surface of the end wall 7 3 is recessed to provide thereon a central boss 75, a perimetrical annular face 76, and a circular row of uniformly spaced integral guide portions 77 of rectangular formation substantially midway between said boss 75 and said annular face 76 in concentric relation thereto and in outwardly projecting perpendicular relation to said exterior recessed surface, as shown more clearly in Figures 10 and 11. It will be noted by referring to Figures 11 and 12, that the central boss 7 5 and annular face 76 are in a common plane, while, the guide portions 77 extend outwardly slightly beyond such common plane. The inner recessed surface of the end wall 73 is also provided with a plurality of circular rows of uniformly spaced annular recesses 78, in concentric relation to the axis thereof for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

Rigidly secured to the inner end of the discharge valve 66 by a central cap screw 79 is a terminal valve disk 80, which forms and constitutes the face or seat of said discharge valve, and for this purpose has a plurality of circular rows of valve controlled inlet openings 81 formed. concentrically therein, through which communication is established between the compressor cylinder 20 and the interior of said discharge valve, when the discharge valve is open. The inner surface of the disk 80 is annularly recessed or undercut, as indicated at 82, to provide a series of concentric annular valve faces 93 for each circular row of openings 81, said annular faces having their inner edges coextensive with the arcuate walls of their correlated circular row of penings 81 and having gas cushioning annular grooves 84 formed therein midway their width, as more clearly shown in Figures 11 and 12. By thus annularly recessing or undercutting, the inner surface of the disk 80, as above described, a central boss 85 and an annular perimetrical face 86 is formed thereon, which boss and face are in a common plane and normally abut the central boss 75 and the annular face 76, respectively, of the valve 66, when the correlated disk 80 is fixedly secured thereto.

Seating upon or abutting the annular valve faces 83, for controlling the openings 81, are the relatively thin annular plate valves 87, each of which is normally maintained in seated or abutting relation upon its correlated valve faces 83 by a circular row of uniformly spaced helical compression springs 88, having their free ends abutting the annular plate valve 87 associated therewith and having their opposite ends disposed or seated within the circular row of uniformly spaced annular recesses 78 provided therefor in the end wall 73 in concentric medial alignment with the correlated annular plate valve, as shown more clearly in Figure 11, wherein it will also be observed that the outer terminals of the guide portions 77 are disposed or seated within one of the annular recesses 82 of the disk 80, when the latter is fixedly secured to the valve 66, whereat such portions function as a guide for the annular plate valves 87 during the opening and closing movements of the latter, and also serve to facilitate positioning of the disk upon valve.

Obviously, with the discharge valve 66 operatively disposed within its correlated cylindrical bore 39 the annular plate valves 87 are unseated during the compression strokes of the piston 21 and are seated during the suction strokes thereof.

By interposing the annular plate valves and valve springs between the valve bodies and disks thereof, as herein shown and described, it will be manifest and apparent that in the event of breakage of a plate valve or any spring thereof, no broken part or parts can become dislodged or get into the compressor cylinder 20 to cause damage thereto, as has frequently occurred heretofore with the types of suction and discharge valves in general use. Further, by providing annular cushioning grooves within the seats of the annular plate valves and compression springs upon the opposite sides of the latter, such plate valves are cushioned both during the opening and closing movements of the same. In this connection it may be well to state, that actual experience has demonstrated that it is necessary and essential to provide gas cushioning grooves in the Valve seats to insure against breakage of the plate valves and to assure of the noiseless operation of the same, for the reason that it is the closing of the plate valves which makes the noise and causes breakage of the same, when no gas cushioning means is provided within the seats thereof. Further, by interiorly disposing the several operative parts of the suction and discharge valves, as obtains in the present construction,

u" all.

such valves are operable with an extremely close clearance and in consequence thereof maintain a minimum wastage.

Manifest'ly, therefore, the suction and discharge valves of the present invention are extremely simple, durable, compact and economical in construction, are reliable and eflicient in use, are noiseless in operation, will not readily get out of order, may be rapidly and expeditiously positioned within their correlated compressor cylinder heads and similarly removed therefrom, and may be em ployed with any type of compressor.

While we have shown and described the invention with sufiicient detail to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains to understand the mode of construction and the principles involved, it is to be understood that there is no intentional limitation herein to the specific form and precise details of construction shown and'described, except as expressly defined by the appended claim, and that various modifications of the same may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the benefits derivable therefrom. It is also to be understood that certain features of theinvention herein disclosed may be employed in other combinations than those shown and described.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a compressor valve, in combination, a cylindrical valve body having a port formed in the cylindrical walls thereof and having an apertured end wall, an apertured disk detachably secured to said endwall, said wall and disk having a valve chamber formed therebetween, a plurality of annular valve seats formed upon one Wall of said chamber having annular gas cushioning grooves formed therein, a plurality of flat springpressed annular plate valves for controlling communication through said valve chamber seatable upon said valve seats and gas cushioned by the grooves thereof when seating, and an annular guide interposed between sai plate valves for guiding the same when seating and unseating.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

JAMES R. ERSKINE.

HARRY HEDBURG. 

